Machine management device, machine management system, machine management method, and program

Abstract

A central control device (2) includes a manufacturing number collection unit (201) for acquiring a manufacturing number from a managed instrument, a feature value extraction unit (203) and a feature value collection unit (204) for acquiring a feature value of the managed instrument, a manufacturing number identification unit (205) for identifying the manufacturing number of the managed instrument on the basis of the feature value of the managed instrument if the manufacturing number is not acquired, and a manufacturing number storage instruction unit (206) for instructing the managed instrument to store the identified manufacturing number.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device management apparatus, a device management system, a device management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, a building multi-air conditioner system including a centralized management device (a centralized control unit in Patent Document 1), a plurality of outdoor units, and a plurality of indoor units is known. In such an air conditioner system, it is known that the centralized management device performs device management such as traceability and maintenance of each device (each outdoor unit and each indoor unit) using a manufacturing number that can uniquely identify each device as a key.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The manufacturing number is usually stored in the control board provided in each device, and the centralized management device can acquire the manufacturing number of each device by communicating with each device. However, when the control board is replaced due to a failure, a specification change, etc., the manufacturing number is not stored in the control board after the replacement, so the centralized management device cannot identify the device, which hinders device management. Therefore, when replacing the control board, there is a problem that the operator needs to manually write the manufacturing number to the control board after the replacement, which is time-consuming.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a device management apparatus, a device management system, a device management method, and a program that can identify a device even when the control board is replaced.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To achieve the above object, the device management apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: device-specific information acquisition means for acquiring device-specific information from a device to be managed; feature amount acquisition means for acquiring a feature amount of the device to be managed; device-specific information identification means for identifying the device-specific information of the device to be managed based on the feature amount of the device to be managed when the device-specific information cannot be acquired; storage command means for commanding the device to be managed to store the identified device-specific information; Position estimation means for estimating the installation position of the device to be managed based on the characteristic amount of the device to be managed and includes.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, even when the control board is replaced, the device can be identified.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the air conditioning system 1 in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is an example of the equipment management system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is a system for air conditioning a building such as a building or a store, and includes a centralized management device 2, outdoor units 3a to 3c, indoor units 4a to 4f, and a remote control 5.

[0011] <Centralized management device 2> The centralized management device 2 is an example of the equipment management device according to the present disclosure. The centralized management device 2 is a device for centrally managing each air conditioner (outdoor units 3a to 3c, indoor units 4a to 4f) in the air conditioning system 1, and is installed in a place where unauthorized persons other than relevant personnel cannot enter, such as a management room in the building. As shown in FIG. 2, the centralized management device 2 includes, as a hardware configuration, a control unit 20, a communication interface 21, an operation reception unit 22, a display 23, and an auxiliary storage device 24.

[0012] The control unit 20 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and comprehensively controls the centralized management device 2. Details of the functions of the centralized management device 2 realized by the control unit 20 will be described later. The communication interface 21 is an interface for communicating with the outdoor units 3a to 3c and the remote control 5 by a communication method in which an AMI waveform is superimposed on a DC power supply via a transmission line 6 which is a centralized transmission line.

[0013] The operation reception unit 22 is configured to include one or more input devices such as, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a keypad, a push button, a touch panel, a touch pad, etc., receive an input operation from a user, and output a signal related to the received input operation to the control unit 20. The display 23 is configured to include a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The display 23 displays a screen or the like for managing the air conditioning system 1 under the control of the control unit 20.

[0014] The auxiliary storage device 24 is composed of a readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The readable and writable non-volatile semiconductor memory is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, etc. The auxiliary storage device 24 stores a management program for managing the air conditioning system and data used when executing such a management program.

[0015] The centralized management device 2 can acquire the above management program or an update program for updating the management program from a server or other devices operated by manufacturers, sales companies, etc. of the outdoor units 3a to 3c and the indoor units 4a to 4f through communication. Also, these programs can be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a magneto-optical disk, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, an HDD, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a memory card, etc. The centralized management device 2 may read and acquire the management program or the update program from such a recording medium when the recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to itself.

[0016] <Outdoor units 3a to 3c, indoor units 4a to 4f> The outdoor unit 3a, the indoor units 4a and 4b are bus-connected to a transmission line 7a which is an internal and external transmission line, and are connected via a first refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating refrigerant. The outdoor unit 3b, the indoor units 4c and 4d are bus-connected to a transmission line 7b which is an internal and external transmission line, and are connected via a second refrigerant pipe (not shown) different from the above-mentioned first refrigerant pipe. The outdoor unit 3c, the indoor units 4e and 4f are bus-connected to a transmission line 7c which is an internal and external transmission line, and are connected via a third refrigerant pipe (not shown) different from any of the above-mentioned first refrigerant pipe and second refrigerant pipe.

[0017] Hereinafter, for the descriptions common to the outdoor units 3a to 3c, they are referred to as the outdoor unit 3 without particularly specifying each one, for the descriptions common to the indoor units 4a to 4f, they are referred to as the indoor unit 4 without particularly specifying each one, and for the descriptions common to the transmission lines 7a to 7c, they are referred to as the transmission line 7 without particularly specifying each one.

[0018] The outdoor unit 3 is an example of the management target device according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the outdoor unit 3 includes, as a hardware configuration, a control board 30, a measurement unit 31, and a drive unit 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the control board 30 includes, as a hardware configuration, a microcomputer 300, a first communication interface 301, a second communication interface 302, and an auxiliary storage device 303.

[0019] The microcomputer 300 is a microcontroller that comprehensively controls the outdoor unit 3. The first communication interface 301 is an interface for communicating with the centralized management device 2, the remote controller 5, and other outdoor units 3 via the transmission line 6. The second communication interface 302 is an interface for communicating with each indoor unit 4 connected to itself via a transmission line 7 which is an internal and external transmission line. In the present embodiment, the communication method of the transmission line 6 which is a centralized transmission line and the communication method of the transmission line 7 which is an internal and external transmission line are the same (for example, a communication method in which an AMI waveform is superimposed on a DC power supply).

[0020] The auxiliary storage device 303 is composed of, for example, a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 303 stores firmware, which is a software program for the microcomputer 300 to control the outdoor unit 3 and realize functions related to air conditioning, and data used during the execution of the firmware. Further, when the control board 30 was the one mounted at the time of shipment of the outdoor unit 3, the auxiliary storage device 303 stores information indicating the manufacturing number of the outdoor unit 3.

[0021] Returning to FIG. 3, the measurement unit 31 is various sensors, for example, a pipe temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the refrigerant pipe, an outdoor air temperature sensor that measures the outdoor air temperature, and the like. The drive unit 32 is various actuators, for example, a compressor, a fan, an electronic expansion valve, a solenoid valve, and the like.

[0022] The indoor unit 4 is an example of the management target device according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, the indoor unit 4 includes, as a hardware configuration, a control board 40, a measurement unit 41, and a drive unit 42. As shown in FIG. 6, the control board 40 includes, as a hardware configuration, a microcomputer 400, a communication interface 401, and an auxiliary storage device 402. The microcomputer 400 is a microcontroller that comprehensively controls the indoor unit 4. The communication interface 401 is an interface for communicating with the outdoor unit 3 and other indoor units 4 via the transmission line 7.

[0023] The auxiliary storage device 402 is composed of, for example, a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 402 stores firmware, which is a software program for the microcomputer 400 to control the indoor unit 4 and realize functions related to air conditioning, and data used during the execution of the firmware. Further, when the control board 40 was the one mounted at the time of shipment of the indoor unit 4, the auxiliary storage device 402 stores information indicating the manufacturing number of the indoor unit 4.

[0024] Returning to FIG. 5, the measurement unit 41 is various sensors, for example, a pipe temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the refrigerant pipe, an indoor temperature sensor that measures the indoor temperature, and the like. The drive unit 42 is various actuators, for example, a fan, a solenoid valve, and the like.

[0025] <Remote controller 5> The remote controller 5 is a remote controller for air conditioning, is connected to the transmission line 6, and receives operations related to air conditioning from the user. For example, the remote controller 5 receives operations from the user such as switching the start / stop of operation, switching the operation modes such as cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and blowing, changing the set temperature, changing the set humidity, and changing the wind speed.

[0026] <Functional configuration of the centralized management device 2> FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the centralized management device 2. As shown in FIG. 7, the centralized management device 2 includes a communication address determination unit 200, a manufacturing number collection unit 201, a trial operation command unit 202, a feature quantity extraction unit 203, a feature quantity collection unit 204, a manufacturing number identification unit 205, a manufacturing number storage command unit 206, and an information update unit 207. These functional units are realized by the control unit 20 executing the above-described management program stored in the auxiliary storage device 24.

[0027] The communication address determination unit 200 determines the communication addresses, which are the addresses for communication of each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4, when the air conditioning system 1 is started up (that is, at the time of startup). Specifically, when the communication address determination unit 200 receives the temporary address information transmitted for each outdoor unit 3, it determines the communication addresses, which are the formal addresses for communication of the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 connected to the outdoor unit 3. The temporary address information stores the source outdoor unit 3 and the temporary communication addresses of each indoor unit 4 connected to the outdoor unit 3.

[0028] When the communication address determination unit 200 determines the communication addresses of the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 connected to the outdoor unit 3, it transmits a command to the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4, instructing them to set the determined communication addresses. Further, the communication address determination unit 200 stores the determined communication addresses of the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 in the device information temporary storage unit 240. The device information temporary storage unit 240 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24.

[0029] The manufacturing number collection unit 201 is an example of the device-specific information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The manufacturing number collection unit 201 collects the manufacturing numbers from each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. The manufacturing number is an example of the device-specific information according to the present disclosure. Specifically, when the transmission of the above command to one outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 connected to the outdoor unit 3 by the communication address determination unit 200 is completed, the manufacturing number collection unit 201 transmits a command to request the manufacturing number (hereinafter referred to as the "manufacturing number request command") to the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4.

[0030] When the outdoor unit 3 receives the manufacturing number request command, it reads out the manufacturing number stored in the auxiliary storage device 303 of the control board 30 and transmits a response command (hereinafter referred to as the "manufacturing number response command") in which the read manufacturing number is stored to the centralized management device 2. Similarly, when each indoor unit 4 receives the manufacturing number request command, it reads out the manufacturing number stored in the auxiliary storage device 402 of the control board 40 and transmits a manufacturing number response command in which the read manufacturing number is stored to the centralized management device 2.

[0031] The manufacturing number collection unit 201 receives the manufacturing number response commands sent from the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4, extracts and acquires the manufacturing numbers from the received manufacturing number response commands, thereby collecting the manufacturing numbers of each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. The manufacturing number collection unit 201 stores the collected manufacturing numbers in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication addresses of the devices.

[0032] The trial operation command unit 202 commands the implementation of a trial operation for each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. Specifically, when the trial operation start operation is performed by an operator such as a construction worker or a maintenance worker via the operation reception unit 22, the trial operation command unit 202 transmits a command for implementing the trial operation (hereinafter referred to as the "trial operation execution command") to each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. Each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 that has received the trial operation execution command performs the trial operation.

[0033] In addition, each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 that has received the trial operation execution command extracts its own feature amount. Specifically, each outdoor unit 3 includes a feature amount extraction unit (not shown) that is a functional unit for extracting its own feature amount. The feature amount extraction unit of each outdoor unit 3 is realized by the microcomputer 300 included in the outdoor unit 3 executing the above-described firmware stored in the auxiliary storage device 303. Similarly, each indoor unit 4 includes a feature amount extraction unit (not shown) that is a functional unit for extracting its own feature amount. The feature amount extraction unit of each indoor unit 4 is realized by the microcomputer 400 included in the indoor unit 4 executing the above-described firmware stored in the auxiliary storage device 402.

[0034] The feature amount extraction units of each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 extract, as their own feature amounts, for example, the following values.

[0035] (1) Initial value of the actuator For example, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, etc. The initial value of the actuator generally depends on the model, and in the case of the same model, there are often almost no differences between devices. (2) Temperature of the refrigerant pipe, time to reach the target temperature (3) Response time, ACK delay time, peak value of response / ACK during communication with other devices (outdoor units, indoor units)

[0036] In addition, the feature extraction unit 203 of the centralized management device 2 extracts, as feature values, the response time, ACK delay time, and peak value of the response / ACK during communication with each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 during the trial operation. The feature extraction unit 203 is an example of the feature acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The feature extraction unit 203 stores the extracted feature values in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication address of the device of the communication partner.

[0037] Note that the response time, ACK delay time, and peak value of the response / ACK during communication with each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 depend on the communication distance (that is, depend on the installation location of each device). Therefore, the feature extraction unit 203 does not store the extracted feature value (hereinafter referred to as the "absolute value") in the device information temporary storage unit 240 as it is, but converts it into a relative value (hereinafter referred to as the "relative value") and then stores it in the device information temporary storage unit 240.

[0038] The feature collection unit 204 is an example of the feature acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The feature collection unit 204 collects feature values from each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. Specifically, when the trial operation ends, the feature collection unit 204 sends a command (hereinafter referred to as the "feature value request command") for requesting feature values to each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. When each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 receive the feature value request command, they send a response command (hereinafter referred to as the "feature value response command") in which the extracted feature values are stored to the centralized management device 2.

[0039] The feature collection unit 204 stores the feature values collected from each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication address of the device. At that time, depending on the type of feature value, the feature collection unit 204 does not store the above absolute value in the device information temporary storage unit 240 as it is, but converts it into a relative value as described above and then stores it in the device information temporary storage unit 240. For example, since the temperature of the refrigerant pipe also changes depending on the aging of the device, the change in the refrigerant amount, the room temperature at that time, etc., it is preferable to convert it into a relative value and then store it.

[0040] The manufacturing number specifying unit 205 is an example of the device-specific information specifying means according to the present disclosure. The manufacturing number specifying unit 205 specifies the manufacturing number of a device with an unknown manufacturing number, that is, a device from which the manufacturing number could not be obtained. As described above, information indicating the manufacturing number of each of the control board 30 of the outdoor unit 3 at the time of shipment and the control board 40 of the indoor unit 4 at the time of shipment is stored. However, the control board replaced due to a failure, specification change, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "service board") does not store information indicating the manufacturing number. Therefore, the manufacturing number cannot be obtained from the outdoor unit 3 or the indoor unit 4 replaced with the service board. The manufacturing number specifying unit 205 specifies the manufacturing number of a device from which the manufacturing number could not be obtained, that is, a device replaced with the service board.

[0041] Specifically, the manufacturing number specifying unit 205 compares the feature amount of the device from which the manufacturing number could not be obtained with the feature amounts of each of the previous management target devices stored in the device information storage unit 241. The device information storage unit 241 stores the device information of each of the previous management target devices, that is, before the start-up of the current air conditioning system 1. Each device information includes the manufacturing number of the device, the communication address, the feature amount, and information related to device management such as traceability and maintenance. When the feature amount of the device from which the manufacturing number could not be obtained matches the feature amount of any of the previous management target devices stored in the device information storage unit 241 under predetermined conditions, the manufacturing number specifying unit 205 determines that the device from which the manufacturing number could not be obtained is the previous management target device, and determines that the manufacturing number of the previous management target device is the manufacturing number of the device from which the manufacturing number could not be obtained.

[0042] Specifically, the manufacturing number identification unit 205 extracts management target devices (hereinafter referred to as "indeterminate devices") among the previous management target devices that do not match any of the manufacturing numbers obtained this time. Then, the manufacturing number identification unit 205 generates a list showing the matching rates between the feature amounts of each of the one or more devices (hereinafter referred to as "unspecified devices") for which the manufacturing number could not be obtained and the feature amounts of each of the one or more indeterminate devices. The manufacturing number identification unit 205 refers to the list, determines that the devices with the highest matching rate are the same, and identifies the manufacturing numbers of the unspecified devices. However, those with a matching rate less than a predetermined lower limit value (for example, 50%) are considered not to be the same. The unspecified devices and indeterminate devices determined to be the same are excluded from the list. The manufacturing number identification unit 205 repeats the determination using the above list until the manufacturing numbers of all unspecified devices are identified.

[0043] For example, assuming the unspecified devices are devices X to Z and the indeterminate devices are devices A to C, and the matching rates of the feature amounts between each pair of devices are as follows, the manufacturing number identification unit 205 determines that device X is device A, device Y is device B, and device Z is device C. Device X and device A: 90% Device X and device B: 30% Device X and device C: 40% Device Y and device A: 80% Device Y and device B: 70% Device Y and device C: 30% Device Z and device A: 40% Device Z and device B: 60% Device Z and device C: 60%

[0044] Note that since the arrival time of the target temperature loses reproducibility when the external situation changes significantly, if the season is different between the previous test run and the current test run, or if the difference in the outside air temperature exceeds a predetermined value, the manufacturing number identification unit 205 shall exclude the arrival time of the target temperature from the feature amounts to be compared.

[0045] The manufacturing number specifying unit 205 associates the specified manufacturing number with the communication address of the device (the communication address determined this time) and stores it in the device information temporary storage unit 240.

[0046] The manufacturing number storage command unit 206 is an example of the storage command means according to the present disclosure. The manufacturing number storage command unit 206 commands the device in which the manufacturing number is specified, that is, the device replaced on the service board, to store the specified manufacturing number. Specifically, the manufacturing number storage command unit 206 transmits a command (hereinafter referred to as "manufacturing number storage request command") for requesting storage of the manufacturing number to the device replaced on the service board. The manufacturing number storage request command includes the manufacturing number that the device should store. The control board 30 of the outdoor unit 3 that has received the manufacturing number storage request command stores the manufacturing number in the auxiliary storage device 303. Also, the control board 40 of the indoor unit 4 that has received the manufacturing number storage request command stores the manufacturing number in the auxiliary storage device 402.

[0047] When the manufacturing numbers of all devices for which the manufacturing number could not be obtained are specified, the information update unit 207 updates each device information stored in the device information storage unit 241 based on the content stored in the device information temporary storage unit 240. Specifically, the communication address and the feature amount stored in the device information temporary storage unit 240 are overwritten and stored in the device information of the device having the same manufacturing number in the device information storage unit 241. Also, when the manufacturing number included in any device information stored in the device information storage unit 241 is not stored in the device information temporary storage unit 240, the information update unit 207 deletes the device information from the device information storage unit 241 on the assumption that the device was removed before the current startup.

[0048] Also, when the device information storing the manufacturing number that matches the manufacturing number stored in the device information temporary storage unit 240 is not stored in the device information storage unit 241, the information update unit 207 adds and stores the device information including the manufacturing number, the communication address, and the feature amount of the device in the device information storage unit 241 on the assumption that the device is a newly added management target device before the current startup.

[0049] <Temporary Address Determination Process> FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the temporary address determination process executed by the outdoor unit 3. When the air conditioning system 1 is started up, first, the following temporary address determination process is executed by each outdoor unit 3.

[0050] (Step S100) The outdoor unit 3 determines its own communication address. After that, the process of the outdoor unit 3 transitions to step S101.

[0051] (Step S101) The outdoor unit 3 transmits an indoor unit search command, which is a command for searching for the indoor units 4 connected to itself, via the second communication interface 302. Specifically, the outdoor unit 3 broadcasts the indoor unit search command via the second communication interface 302. If the indoor unit 4 that has received the indoor unit search command has not set its own communication address, it transmits a response command to the outdoor unit 3. At this time, the indoor unit 4 transmits the response command after waiting for a random time. The response command stores a random number generated by the indoor unit 4. However, before the indoor unit 4 transmits the response command, if another indoor unit 4 has transmitted a response command (that is, when the indoor unit 4 has received the response command of another indoor unit 4), the indoor unit 4 does not transmit its own response command.

[0052] In this way, by each indoor unit 4 transmitting the response command after waiting for a random time, it is possible to avoid a plurality of indoor units 4 responding simultaneously and enable only one indoor unit 4 to transmit the response command. After transmitting the indoor unit search command, the process of the outdoor unit 3 transitions to step S102.

[0053] (Step S102) The outdoor unit 3 determines whether or not a response has been received from the indoor unit 4 within a predetermined timeout period after transmitting the indoor unit search command, that is, whether or not a response command has been received. If a response is received from the indoor unit 4 (step S102; YES), the process of the outdoor unit 3 transitions to step S103. On the other hand, if no response is received from the indoor unit 4 (step S102; NO), the process of the outdoor unit 3 transitions to step S104.

[0054] (Step S103) The outdoor unit 3 sets the communication address of the indoor unit 4 that has responded. Specifically, the outdoor unit 3 determines the communication address of the indoor unit 4 that has responded, and broadcasts a communication address setting command in which the determined communication address and a random number extracted from the response command received from the indoor unit 4 are stored. Thereafter, the process of the outdoor unit 3 returns to step S101. When the indoor unit 4 that has received the communication address setting command determines that the random number that matches the random number generated by itself is stored in the communication address setting command, it determines that the communication address setting command is for itself, and sets the communication address indicated by the communication address setting command as its own communication address.

[0055] (Step S104) The outdoor unit 3 transmits temporary address information including its own communication address and the communication addresses of each indoor unit 4 connected to itself to the centralized management device 2 via the first communication interface 301. Thereafter, the outdoor unit 3 ends the temporary address determination process.

[0056] <Operation of the Centralized Management Device 2 at Startup> FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of the centralized management device 2 at the startup of the air conditioning system 1.

[0057] (Step S200) The centralized management device 2 determines whether it has received temporary address information from any of the outdoor units 3. If it has received temporary address information from any of the outdoor units 3 (step S200; YES), the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S201. On the other hand, if it has not received temporary address information from any of the outdoor units 3 (step S200; NO), the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S203.

[0058] (Step S201) The centralized management device 2 determines the formal communication addresses of the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 connected to the outdoor unit 3. The centralized management device 2 transmits a command instructing the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 to set the determined communication addresses, and stores the determined communication addresses of the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 in the device information temporary storage unit 240. After that, the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S202.

[0059] (Step S202) The centralized management device 2 collects the manufacturing numbers from the outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4, and stores the collected manufacturing numbers in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication addresses of the respective devices. After that, the process of the centralized management device 2 returns to step S200.

[0060] (Step S203) The centralized management device 2 determines whether a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the air conditioning system 1. If a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the air conditioning system 1 (step S203; YES), the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S204. On the other hand, if a certain period of time has not elapsed since the start of the air conditioning system 1 (step S203; NO), the process of the centralized management device 2 returns to step S200.

[0061] (Step S204) When the operator performs a start operation for a test run, the centralized management device 2 issues a command to execute a test run for each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. As a result, each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 perform a test run and extract their own characteristic quantities. In addition, the centralized management device 2 extracts, as characteristic quantities, the response time, ACK delay time, and peak value of response / ACK during communication with each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. The centralized management device 2 converts the extracted characteristic quantities into relative values and stores them in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication addresses of the devices of the communication partners. Thereafter, the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S205.

[0062] (Step S205) When the test run ends, the centralized management device 2 collects characteristic quantities from each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. The centralized management device 2 stores the characteristic quantities collected from each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication addresses of the devices. At that time, for specific types of characteristic quantities, the centralized management device 2 stores the relative values in the device information temporary storage unit 240. Thereafter, the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S206.

[0063] (Step S206) The centralized management device 2 determines whether there is a device with an unknown manufacturing number. If there is a device with an unknown manufacturing number (step S206; YES), the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S207. On the other hand, if there is no device with an unknown manufacturing number (step S206; NO), the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S209.

[0064] (Step S207) The centralized management device 2 identifies the manufacturing number of the device with the unknown manufacturing number by comparing the characteristic quantities of the device with the unknown manufacturing number with the characteristic quantities of each previous management target device stored in the device information storage unit 241. The centralized management device 2 stores the identified manufacturing number in the device information temporary storage unit 240 in association with the communication address of the device. Thereafter, the process of the centralized management device 2 transitions to step S208.

[0065] (Step S208) The centralized management device 2 instructs the device with the specified manufacturing number to store the specified manufacturing number. After that, the process of the centralized management device 2 returns to step S206.

[0066] (Step S209) The centralized management device 2 updates each device information stored in the device information storage unit 241 based on the content stored in the device information temporary storage unit 240. Thus, the operation of the centralized management device 2 at the time of starting the air conditioning system 1 ends.

[0067] As described above, according to the air conditioning system 1 of the present embodiment, since the device can be specified based on the feature amount, even when the manufacturing number cannot be obtained due to the replacement of the control board, the device can be specified.

[0068] (Modification 1) The centralized management device 2 may collect information such as model name and model number from each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 and manage it as device information.

[0069] (Modification 2) In the above embodiment, the centralized management device 2 determines the formal communication address of each indoor unit 4. However, each outdoor unit 3 may determine the formal communication address of each indoor unit 4 connected to itself based on its own formal communication address notified from the centralized management device 2.

[0070] (Modification 3) Depending on the device, the manufacturing number may not be written in the auxiliary storage device of the control board at the time of shipment. To address such cases, a device-specific information generation unit that generates device-specific information, which is the unique information of the device based on the characteristic amount of the device at the time of initial startup, may be added to the functional configuration of the centralized management device 2. The device-specific information generation unit is an example of the device-specific information generation means according to the present disclosure. In this configuration, the manufacturing number storage command unit 206 commands the device to store the device-specific information generated by the device-specific information generation unit. Thereafter, in the centralized management device 2, the device-specific information is treated as the manufacturing number of the device. Further, when the device receives a manufacturing number request command from the centralized management device 2, the device transmits a manufacturing number response command in which the device-specific information is stored to the centralized management device 2.

[0071] (Modification Example 4) The centralized management device 2 may be provided with a certificate generation unit that generates a certificate of the device based on the characteristic amount of the device at the time of initial startup of the device. The certificate generation unit is an example of the certificate generation means according to the present disclosure. In this case, the generated certificate is managed as the device information of the device in the centralized management device 2 and is stored in the auxiliary storage device of the control board of the device. Then, the certificate is used for authentication of the partner device in communication between devices. By doing so, it is possible to improve the security of the air conditioning system 1 without the need to write a dedicated certificate to each device in the manufacturing process.

[0072] (Modification Example 5) The centralized management device 2 may be provided with a position estimation unit that estimates the installation positions of each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4 based on the characteristic amounts of each outdoor unit 3 and each indoor unit 4. The position estimation unit is an example of the position estimation means according to the present disclosure. In this case, the estimated installation positions are managed as the device information of the devices in the centralized management device 2. For example, the centralized management device 2 displays the installation positions on the display 23 together with the manufacturing number, communication address, etc. according to the operation of the operator. Thereby, the efficiency of the confirmation work at the time of construction and maintenance can be improved.

[0073] (Modification Example 6) All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 7) of the centralized management device 2 may be implemented by dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

[0074] (Modification Example 7) The device management system of the present disclosure can also be applied to systems other than air conditioning systems, such as lighting systems.

[0075] The technical ideas according to the above modification examples may be realized independently or in appropriate combination.

[0076] The present disclosure can be variously embodied and modified without departing from the broad spirit and scope. Also, the above-described embodiments are for explaining the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. And various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning equivalent to the disclosure are regarded as being within the scope of the present disclosure.

Industrial Applicability

[0077] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted for a system composed of a plurality of devices.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 1 Air conditioning system, 2 Central processing unit, 3, 3a to 3c Outdoor units, 4, 4a to 4f Indoor units, 5 Remote control, 6, 7, 7a to 7c Transmission lines, 20 Control unit, 21, 401 Communication interface, 22 Operation reception unit, 23 Display, 24, 303, 402 Auxiliary storage device, 30, 40 Control board, 31, 41 Measurement unit, 32, 42 Driving unit, 200 Communication address determination unit, 201 Manufacturing number collection unit, 202 Commissioning instruction unit, 203 Feature quantity extraction unit, 204 Feature quantity collection unit, 205 Manufacturing number identification unit, 206 Manufacturing number storage instruction unit, 207 Information update unit, 240 Temporary equipment information storage unit, 241 Equipment information storage unit, 300, 400 Microcomputer, 301 First communication interface, 302 Second communication interface

Claims

1. Device-specific information acquisition means for acquiring device-specific information from a device under management; Feature quantity acquisition means for acquiring the feature quantity of the device under management; Device-specific information identification means for identifying the device-specific information of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management when the device-specific information cannot be acquired; Storage command means for instructing the device under management to store the identified device-specific information; A device management apparatus comprising position estimation means for estimating the installation position of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management.

2. When the device-specific information cannot be identified by the device-specific information identification means, the device further comprises device-specific information generation means for generating the device-specific information of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management, The storage command means instructs the device under management to store the generated device-specific information. The device management apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The device management apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising certificate generation means for generating a certificate for authenticating the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management.

4. A device management system comprising the device management apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and A device under management.

5. The device-specific information acquisition means acquires device-specific information from the device under management, The feature quantity acquisition means acquires the feature quantity of the device under management, When the device-specific information cannot be acquired, the device-specific information identification means identifies the device-specific information of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management, The storage command means instructs the device under management to store the identified device-specific information, A device management method in which the position estimation means estimates the installation position of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management.

6. A program that causes a computer to Function as device-specific information acquisition means for acquiring device-specific information from a device under management, Feature quantity acquisition means for acquiring the feature quantity of the device under management, Device-specific information identification means for identifying the device-specific information of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management when the device-specific information cannot be acquired, Storage command means for instructing the device under management to store the identified device-specific information, Position estimation means for estimating the installation position of the device under management based on the feature quantity of the device under management.

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